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Westland council pauses decision on license-plate cameras after public concerns
Summary
After a presentation from Flock Safety and an extended council Q&A, Westland councilors asked staff to gather more community input and policy options before deciding on automatic license-plate reader cameras.
Westland City Councilors heard a presentation from Flock Safety on automatic license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras and directed staff to pause consideration and return with community engagement, policy options and a budget estimate.
The discussion followed a public comment in which a resident warned that ALPR systems indiscriminately collect movement data and risk privacy harms. Councilors then heard from Chief Mahuna and Flock representatives about how the cameras operate, data retention and auditing features.
Councilors said they saw potential public-safety benefits — including locating stolen vehicles and missing persons — but raised repeated concerns about privacy, data sharing, audit controls and public-records requests. After questions and answers, council accepted the police chief’s recommendation to pause and solicit more public input before moving forward.
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